Safety is a key ingredient for food companies;
including packaging and labeling. Epson
inks for their line of ColorWorks label printers comply with international Food
Contact Material (FCM) regulations.
In
2019, Epson announces that the ink from the ColorWorks line of label printers
met the EU Regulation framework (EC) No. 1935/2004, Good Manufacturing
Practices Regulation (GMP) (EC) No. 2023/2006, Plastics Implementation Measure
Regulation (EU) 10/2011 and the Swiss Ordinance (RS 817.023.21) on Food
Contact Materials for food packaging printing inks; and other certifications as
well. Learn more here.
And
recently, Epson Europe released a PDF describing these certifications. Get this great summary here:
Good
Manufacturing Practices Regulation (GMP) (EC) No. 2023/2006 lays down the rules
on good manufacturing practice (GMP) for the groups of materials and articles
intended to come into contact with food. GMP details here.
Swiss
Ordinance (RS 817.023.21) is a list of substances that are allowed for the
manufacture of packaging ink and related requirements for food contact
materials and articles. Swiss Ordinance details here.
 |
| Jacob Kallergis, Epson |
For this post,
I asked Jacob Kallergis, European Product Manager for the ColorWorks line of printers,
on why Epson pursued these certifications.
According to Jacob, “Responsible food producers, who need to certify
their packaging meets the FCM regulations in Europe, will look for appropriate
materials. Ink is just one component of the packaging; you have other
components also including the label, the barrier, etc. As Epson sells label
printers to these companies, we need to ensure our inks comply with the FCM regulations.”
In
the PDF and the Press Release, I noticed the certifications were for indirect
food contact. This definition means that
printing must be completed on a non-contact surface such as a label on outside
of the package. When asked, why not
direct food contact, Jacob said, “Generally, the inks market for labelling are for indirect use.” And Jacob is correct. After my years in this business, I don’t know
of any label printing company selling printers that use edible inks.
Epson Europe considers food manufacturers a
great target for their line of ColorWorks label printers. Jacob says, “Food manufacturers need our
on-demand color label printers. These
companies are moving toward smaller and larger variety of SKU/batches as well
as customized food products/labels. Plus, Europe’s smaller countries and
languages mean potentially many different labels. ColorWorks label printers are perfect for
these types of companies.” Check out
Epson Europe’s web page designed specifically for food manufacturers.
Be sure to read
Epson Europe’s case studies (unless you’re hungry):
HF Chocolate: Confectionary wholesale
Continuing,
Jacob says, “Confectionary producers seem to be the most interested with
on-demand color labeling as well as prepared foods. Health conscience consumers, especially since
the pandemic, are seeking specialized products, looking for high quality
food. Our label printers enable these
companies to print the labels they need when they need them.”
Over the years,
I’ve written about food companies many times.
For example, Foodie Fit:
and
several customers involved in an Epson PR tour:
and even
cannabis edibles, Love’s Oven:
 |
| Epson ColorWorks |
Bottom line:
Food manufacturers can feel safe printing labels using Epson’s inks in the
ColorWorks label printers. If you are a food manufacturer producing labels for
a variety of products/SKU’s, contact us as we can help with your food label
printing.
Guy Mikel
855-962-7670
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